By now you’ve probably seen the horrible videos that Microsoft is using to promote its grassroots Windows 7 Launch Party effort.
There’s so much wrong with the video, that it’s not even worth getting into.
While the marketing is embarrassing, the program seems like it’s gaining traction. I went to the Launch Party site and saw that they have over 10K parties planned in the US alone. I read through some of the user comments and people seem genuinely excited about this ... or maybe it’s Windows 7 that they’re excited about.
Free software and a little geek cred can go a long way.
There’s an organic body care brand that my wife and I have been fans of for many years. I’d go as far to say that for their hair care products, we’re brand loyalists.
The name feels kind of awkward ... you just can’t help thinking: Kiss My Ass. Years ago I chalked that up to the folksiness that some of these organic brands have. Well, folksy or not, these guys are being sold through Target and Whole Foods, which certainly begins to push them towards mass market.
There’s also a few products that are a bit challenged on the naming side too:
Miss Treated Shampoo
Big Body Shampoo
Rough Thyme Shower and Bath Gel
These are puns gone wrong, so to speak. Most of their product naming is pretty straightforward, but somehow a few bad ones slipped by.
There’s few gems on the website as well, such as “The cold war is over—it’s time for a hot bath!”
Regardless of whether their kissing my face or my ass, as long as they keep making good product they’ll be kissing my wallet.
Challenging topic. Beautiful visual execution, but lacks on the communication side of the equation. This might have benefited from a few more passes at simplifying the script. Though I question as to whether or not it would dilute the message and intent. Which leads me to wonder if this approach was the right one.
This past weekend I had the pleasure of stumbling into a Soho gallery featuring the photography of Sue Kwon.
The show captures twenty years of pre-Giuliani New York in beautiful black and white photography. There’s an authenticity to Kwon’s work that immediately pulls you in and connects you with her subjects. You really get the feeling of being there, ready to walk up and join in the scene.
The show coincides with the release of her book, aptly titled “Only in New York”.
The opening reception is tonight 9/16 - 6-9pm: Clic Gallery
424 Broome Street, NYC
That’s what Jeff Jarvis’s new book aims to answer - not just for tech companies, but in many other industries.
In the above video he gives quick examples of this, such as crowd-sourcing automotive design and restaurant menus.
I have to say, those have to be the most un-compelling, and frankly, ill-advised ways to look at your business that he could have stated.
There’s a widely used axiom (source unknown), that goes like this…
If you asked a group of Porsche owners what they wanted they’d tell you things like, “smoother ride, more trunk space, more leg room”
They just designed a Volvo.
While crowd-sourcing can provide critical input, it’s not the formula for brand differentiation.
It’s also not universally loved within Google.
Former Google employee and Lead Designer, Doug Bowman explained his departure from Google on his blog...
“Yes, it’s true that a team at Google couldn’t decide between two blues, so they’re testing 41 shades between each blue to see which one performs better. I had a recent debate over whether a border should be 3, 4 or 5 pixels wide, and was asked to prove my case. I can’t operate in an environment like that. I’ve grown tired of debating such minuscule design decisions. There are more exciting design problems in this world to tackle.”
Putting aside Doug’s interests here, it’s clear that Google has removed the human element, the emotion, out of the design process. Now, maybe this works for a company like Google that creates things for the masses, but there are many many businesses that don’t. And even some that do, such as Apple, wouldn’t be who they are if they democratized their product creation.
For certain companies, and for specific applications, crowd-sourcing can be a powerful tool. It’s working for Google. But that doesn’t mean that it’s the new paradigm, period.
I typically don’t slam a book before I read it. And I’m sure that there’s more to glean from Google than democratized design. But between this video and the Amazon user reviews, I’m having second thoughts about picking this one up.
There’s an organic body care brand that my wife and I have been fans of for many years. I’d go as far to say that for their hair care products, we’re brand loyalists.